Grandstand construction



PatentedA Nov. 2 1, 1939 UNITED STATES I PATEN T.- OFFICE.

GRANDSTAND CONSTRUCTION Byron J. Lambert, Iowa City, Iowa. Application April 13, 1938, Serial'No. 201,701

" 1 clam (culas-na struct a steel grandstand which will have a maximum strengthand which will involve a minimum t stand construction embodying the 'inventioni .of cost through the formation of 'the various parts in groups and then connecting thelmwwr Sether at desiredpoints.` In the accompanyingdrawing- Fig.. 1 isa perspective view of partof a ygrand- Fig. 2- is an enlarged detail fragmentary perspective view of part of one of the girders shown in Fig. 1 together with a construction clip;

Fig. 3 isa fragmentary perspective view in section showing how the tread or seat plate of. one

-Yextendiwhen 'iirs't assembling thegrandstand;rv 'constructiom;

.- meral l' is: a secondf unit, while the constructionv group of members is temporarily connected by an erection clip with the tread of the next group, the section being taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an edge view of the upper part of a girder with one complete groupof seat members and portions ofiother groups associatedtherewith;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through Fig. 1V approximately on the line 5 5. f. Referring tothe accompanying drawing by. n-umerals, I indicates 'a girder ofany desired `c on struction but preferably of an lI-beam formation as illustrated in Fig. l. It will be understood that -any desired .number of these -girders may be provided according to the strength necessary. Each girder is 'provided with au number of oo nstruction clips 2, as'shown in Fig. 2, which are preferably welded to the girder though they could be boltedor riveted thereto. Each of these clips is preferably formed with apertures 3V through whichsuitable bolts for rivets. 4are-adapted to' In -forming the and treads or. seat plates, a special construction isprovided wherein these members areformed 1in groupsso as to. present a very strong and -eilicient structure and one which f may-be manufactured at a"minimumcost.Y

The 'constructionfillusttated in -1` by the numerallis one unit ofthebody of thegrande.. stand; -the constructionindicatedf by 'the-n' 'oiim fem `Rete ngparticularly to the unit indicated'A by Y 4 are c on'nectedgtogether. .Previous tothe welding-faction the variousbolts 4 are applied so 1 I tV will therefore seen that each of the groups 5, 6 and 'I and other groups if needed are horizontal groups-is provided and'l also a saving -longer or shorter artsr@ curve@ each. group' lhewn'at'- I,isfaithird unit.' nydesired nun'iberl nits' may be 'provided '.-w'ithoutdeparthe spirit of theainvention.

thenumr'al "5,.1 itwill beseen that the same is" .-5

provided.V with two tread orseatplates, namely treads-Bv, and 9.` A` riser I0 connects theatread's 8 and 9,.'while depending from oneedge of tread 9 lis a .riser I I LWhich is adapted to be welded toV the tread'` I2 of group 6 along the juncture ofthe two parts; namely, along line I3. .As indicated in Flg.`.4, the riser I I rests on top of the edge portion o fetreavd' I2 so that whenfthe vwelded `line I3 is: itllplititly the edge portionsv offthese members esito temporarily. hold the units in position Wherebyall the units'may be built up or properly positioned before any of the welding action takesplace.

lFrom Fig. 1 it will be vnoted that there is provided a butt-welded joint I4 between all sections of group 5 or ofthe remaining groups as the case -may be. This butt-welded connection ispreferably positioned centrally of the girder I though this is not essential.l It will be noted that the section I5 of group 5 is held in contact with the f section I6v` of group 5 by two bolts or rivets ex-f' tending through the construction clip 2. If de;- siredfafter the welded joint I3 has been provided, the bolts I could be removed and the openings closed by suitable welding though ordinarily the bolts 'are left-in place.-

formed with two seat treads and each group pre-4 sents a single unit with three bends. namely, bends I1, Il and I9. Itwill further be seen that only one welded joint is neededbetween adjoining-groups whereby a savingf in the number of in the. work "off forming the bends. .While two seat-,treads and corresponding .risers are :pro-"- z vided .m eacngroup. itwin beevidehtthat more than two multi?- be; Drovidddiffldesiredit Each stance' eighteen! teet.- thllllhf for instance-at the nd'br megrandstanmeacn yever'gfL-thejseenons.- isvv and le or v f Y ar'buttl-welded: and., therefore, in av certain sense, are one vcontinuousstructure.3 Aiso cny shorter 'toteke care or thisfw l are integral with` each otherI so that a very rigid.

strong and veiillcient structure is presented with a minimum amount of labor in assembling and se- 'curing the parts together as well as in the original formation of the respective parts.` AIn addition tothe construction clips 2, there are 'provided supporting clips 20 at one end of .each of the sections I5 and I6, so that the end of the adjacent `section may rest thereon to hold the parts in alinement .during the welding action. Also erection clips 2| may be used at spacedintervals along the juncture of riser II and tread I2 and similar risers and treads.` This is to hold theable material. Bolts 24 connect the seat members 23 to the horizontal section 25 of the supports 22. The leg 26 `of each support is preterably welded at 21 to a` tread though it coull be riveted or bolted thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. The same is true of the other leg though preferably this leg is welded 3 to the'riser at 26 as indicated in Fig. 3.

After all the parts have been welded as just described and theseats 23 placed in lposition the grandstand is ready for use and presents a very simple but strong construction. `Also the stand when completed does not present unnecessary A since, manifestly, the same can be considerably varied without departure'from the spirit of the invention 'as definedin the appended claim.

I claim:

A steel grandstand 'comprising inclined girders, a plurality of units extending lengthwise and transversely of the girders, each unit formed of a single sheet of material and bent to provide a plurality of alternately disposed tread plates and risers, the end edges of the risers of one unit abutting similarly positioned edges of the adjacently disposed units, spaced angle irons secured to the girders, means securing the abutted end edges of the risers to the angle irons, the rear edge of the tread plate of each unit'being aligned with'the lower edge of a riser of an adjacently disposed unit and a welded seam connecting the ,30

aligned edges of said plate and riser.

' BYRON J. LAMBERT. 

